


The Power Within

by januhobiii



Category: It Lives (Visual Novels)
Genre: Alternate Ending, F/M, Implied relationship between MC and Andy, Jane is oblivious to what she's doing, MC becomes a puppet, Oneshot, Rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28479357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/januhobiii/pseuds/januhobiii
Summary: Everybody plays together... and everybody survives.An AU wherein the whole gang lives.
Relationships: Andy Kang/Main Character (It Lives In The Woods)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	The Power Within

**Author's Note:**

> This thing is a oneshot, but I might write a follow-up chapter on what happened to their lives after that night in the woods if I have inspiration and time to write. 
> 
> Anyways, I'll stop babbling stuff. Enjoy :)

They were all so close as kids, they were practically glued to each other. Going to school, playing, studying, getting in all sorts of trouble, whatever it was, the nine of them did it together. When that monster named Redfield broke Jane's neck, it broke all their hearts too. They were too young to witness something tragic, let alone the murder of their dear friend. It left them all traumatized. When they went home that night, they were dead silent and afterwards they never spoke again.

Sychae was glad they were all friends again even though the circumstances that made it happen was atrocious. She missed all of them so much. It was torture to see them everyday at school for the next ten years but not being able to talk to them. She had them all in her life again and she found herself developing fluffy feelings for someone. She had all these nice things but now, it was about to be taken away. Again.

And Sychae was furious.

"Get off of me, Noah," Sychae scowled at her captor, elbowing him hard in the stomach.

"I know this looks bad but please trust me," Noah tightened his grip on her arm.

"It's hard to do that with you pointing that knife at me. What're you gonna do, stab me in the back?" She turned to glare him. She continued, dripping with sarcasm, "Oh wait. You already did that."

They walked down the mossy stairs, their steps slapping the cobblestone and echoing in the perturbing ruins. "Sychae, please," he pleaded. "Just go along with it."

"And why would I do that? Give me one good reason."

He didn't answer and kept leading her into their old hangout place at the basement of Redfield's house. She tried to break free but Noah's grip on her arm was too strong. When they arrive their friends were already there sitting in a circle, writhing against invisible bonds.

"Let her go, you coward!" Sychae looks at the source of the insult and when they make eye contact, her face falls. _Andy, no... We... we were just starting to have something special._

Ava hissed with a formidable likeness of a fierce snake, "Give me back my knife, you backstabbing traitor."

"What the hell are you doing?! I thought we're your friends!" Stacy bellowed at Noah as he gently sat Sychae down beside Andy. Sychae felt an unseen clamp enclose on her body and lock her into place. She tried to lean towards Andy for even just a bit of comfort but she remained fixated on the seat. Instead, they shared a dejected, longing gaze.

"Noah, buddy. Something is obviously wrong and whatever it is, you can tell us. It doesn't have to be like this," said Dan who, unlike everyone else, was full of concern.

Noah ducked his head and stared at his feet. "I wish it didn't have to be, I really do. But there's no other way."

"Can you elaborate on that? You're not making any sense," said Lucas, skeptical of him. Scanning everyone's faces, Sychae noticed they all had the same thought.

"We have to help her," Noah responded.

"W-what? Who is she?" asked Lily, her expression full of dread and uncertainty.

 _ **"MeeEeEeeeeEeee."**_ A chilly breeze followed by a stream of shadow flowed into the room like water, going in circles around the whole group then coalescing into a familiar humanoid figure. It's the entity they played with in those woods as kids: Mr. Red. _**"...Hiiiiiii friends!"**_

Except it's not Mr. Red. It was not the gravelly, manly voice they heard when they played "Are You Scared?" that fateful day. Not the guttural rumble Sychae had heard when she confronted Mr. Red (which was technically not him) about a week ago. Also not the disembodied one they had always heard that is usually associated to ghosts either. It was a thin but misty and screeching cry, sounding like it came from an excited child. That voice... there's no denying it.

Sychae gaped at the spirit feed, looking at it as if for the first time. "No way..."

"When? When did you find out?" asked Stacy, eyes wide in astonishment.

"I found out today."

Noah sat on the only vacant seat between Lucas and Stacy. He took a long, deep breath, steadying himself. "When we separated, those undead plant things drove me here. I couldn't hold them off on my own because, apparently, a branch isn't an effective weapon. I was surrounded and I thought I was gonna die, but then I saw her coming from the ruins and she told the monsters to go away."

"What happened next?" Lucas prompted. "That doesn't explain how you knew that thing is Jane."

"Even if that's her, she's probably corrupted," Ava interjected. She whirled on the monster, as much as she could in the restriction of the bonds, and scorned her. "She's hurt and killed people, man."

"She's not corrupted," Noah snapped. "She saved me."

Ava raised her eyebrow at him, looking at him like he lost his mind. "Sure. But maybe that thing just did it to mind-control you like it did Dan. That can't possibly be her."

"I'm not mind-controlled! I heard her voice back then, just like we all did right now. I _know_ it's her. I'm not lying."

Stacy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "The audacity. Says the guy who led us all here to our deaths."

Lucas seemed to have sensed the tension building up. "Guys, let's not fight. It'll get us nowhere."

Lily signaled to calm them, moving her hands up and down in a slow motion. "Lucas is right. J-just settle down and we can fi-"

"How are both of you so calm right now? This dude betrayed us! If my leg wasn't broken, I'm gonna break it kicking his ass!" Andy asserted, gesturing to his blood-soaked slacks. His leg was twisted in a sickening angle from when one of those undead plant minions twisted his leg back at the homecoming attack.

Andy, Ava, Noah and Stacy argue with one another whilst Lily and Lucas try to break them off. Sychae just watched them berate each other, looking forlorn.

Minutes or hours ago, they were all in homecoming celebrating and partying. They had performed a ritual in the woods the day prior and thought they had sealed the monster for good. Sychae thought that maybe they'd have a normal, happy day like none of the craziness ever happened. She hoped she'd have so much fun going to homecoming with her friends, and a date, both for the first time. Now here she was, sitting at the place of her nightmares, her friends not acting like they're friends. Then, allegedly, the monster who caused all the recent adversities was her childhood best friend? She felt like her mind was gonna explode.

Jane phased through the group and settled at the center of the circle.

It was Mr. Red. Then it was Jane. Her childhood best friend. Jane looked the same as Mr. Red, and the only characteristic that differentiated her from him was her voice. There were countless questions in Sychae's head that were begging to be answered and her instincts had simultaneously warned her of danger. Ava might be right... that might not be Jane anymore.

Despite her internal warnings screaming at her not to do it and the _come back here_ and _are you crazy_ remarks from her friends, Sychae's feet went on auto-pilot mode and propelled her to walk to the center of their circle. She knelt down grievously close and muttered, "Jane," reaching her hand out, hoping it would touch something that would indicate she had not lost everything that made her human.

_**"Sychae..."** _

Darkness began to flood her vision and overwhelm her.

══════════════════

They watched Jane's shadow form dissipate then they collectively lunged forward before Sychae's frail body collided with the floor. Andy gritted his teeth as he caught her in his arms, his leg twisting further. He didn't care about the searing pain it caused on his already broken leg because why would he care when the first girl he liked that didn't ridicule him for being trans, the first girl who made him feel accepted for who he was, was lying dead in his arms?

Everyone huddled around Andy and Sychae while Ava distanced herself from the group. "Well. Aren't we the most jinxed circle of friends. As if one of us dying wasn't enough," she sarcastically smirked with a very visible underline of grimace. She turned her back, probably to hide her tears.

Stacy shoved their traitor of a friend with a hand, looking at him as a horrendous sight, making him skid across the ground. "Is this what you wanted, Noah? For one of us to die to save your twin sister?"

 _This can't be happening._ Andy placed two fingers on her wrist and sighed heavily when he felt some faint thumps. _It's not too late,_ he told himself.

"You're lucky she's still alive," Andy cuts through and bit his lip so hard to keep himself from crying. "If she wasn't then god forgive me for what I will do to you."

Ava rushed back to the group while the rest clamored to see for themselves. They saw Sychae's chest rise and fall and they release bawls of relief, even Ava who was frenetically swiping at her face to rid her tears.

All except Noah who stood, ran a hand through his face and began pacing. "Look, I know what I did was wrong but what would you have done in my position?"

"Oh, I don't know, I would've told the group instead of volunteering us all to play the game again," Lucas offered Noah yet another glare. "Isn't it what this is about? You forced us all to come here to play 'Are You Scared?' and have one of us take her place?"

"What are you saying?" Dan questioned.

Lucas fixed his glasses. "My guess is that Jane took Redfield's place when she was killed. Now we're all here because they want us to play the game again and have someone take her place."

"You were gonna get one of us killed for her? That's really really messed up," Lily frowned.

Noah shook his head. "Y'all don't understand, I'd do everything I could to have her choose me. I wasn't going to let any of you die."

"We trapped her yesterday, didn't we? I don't understand why this is happening."

"Don't you see, Stacy? Everyone? The ritual didn't work. We changed the rules when we were kids to the rules of 'Are You Scared?' and Jane was chosen. What we gotta do is play and I'll pretend to be scared so she chooses me."

This was how the game worked: the it or the "monster" would try to scare the players one by one. Whoever got scared would be the next it. If everyone got scared, the "monster" wins and they get to pick the monster for the next game. It was a fun game to play during halloween parties, but in their case the game became too real.

"You don't have to do this, Noah. We'll think of something, anything else we can do to help her," said Dan.

"That's not true. There's no alternative for this. Believe me, I thought hard about it." Noah halted pacing and faced them, shoulders drooped. Andy had never seen anyone as crestfallen as he looked. For the first time, he could see how tired he was, how much burden he was carrying. "What would you do if you lost your only sister? What would you do when you've been blamed for your sister's death all your life then an opportunity to help her suddenly comes?"

Lily pursed her lips, not knowing how to respond. None of them knew.

Andy didn't know he was struggling like that for they only started talking recently, since all the shitty stuff interrupted their normal lives. He was mad at him for betraying them and for what happened to Sychae, but even though it's not what he would've done, he couldn't blame him. Noah didn't deserve to live with that guilt when it wasn't his fault in the first place.

Andy was torn between feeling exasperated or grateful for all that happened. It had been near-death experiences after another and constant paranoia. Yet if they were still living in the past, they wouldn't be friends again. He wouldn't have been spending so much time together like they used to. He wouldn't have... _liked_ Sychae. _I guess debating that doesn't matter now,_ he thought.

His leg began to throb and he couldn't keep himself from lamenting. In an attempt to alleviate the pain, he inched his leg and pressed it to Sychae's, which has grown cold.

He bolted upright, dumbfounded. _She's cold, but breathing?_

"Uh... A-Andy... s-she's..." He saw Lily backing off, terrified.

Dan was next to her, whispering to himself so quietly Andy almost didn't hear it, _"It's happening to her. It's happening to her."_

Andy dared to look at her. The color gray bled into her skin and consumed her like gangrene whilst her body temperature plummeted. He felt himself being pulled away from Sychae who stood up and grinning menacingly as if she was a vampire thirsting for blood. Her skin was a gross and terrifying gray and her eyes were two burning, orange suns. Andy was held back by Dan and Lucas as he swung his arms to get their hands off of him. He would have unrestrained himself in an instant yet his strength was sapped with the ongoing pain and blood loss from his leg. "Let me go!"

"If there's anything I know from my time as a zombie, it's that she doesn't remember herself or know about everything she's doing," Dan mentioned.

"And with her close proximity to Jane, I presume she's in a more definite control and it'll be more difficult to free her," Lucas appended.

Andy continued fighting them off as he asserted, "We can't just let her be Jane's marionette!"

 _ **"Let'ssss plaaaaayyyyyyy..."**_ Jane materialized in front of them and they suddenly hushed. She floated to Ava and waved for Sychae to follow her like a trained assassin. As they approached, the rest of the group was blocked by an invisible force. Jane's orbs turned into a happy blue.

 _I think I can help her,_ Andy figured. _I just have to make her remember herself._ "Sychae-" His voice was suddenly turned off. His lips continued to move with the absence of words. Andy tested his vocal chords by humming and there was no vibration. His voice was gone.

"What's wrong, buddy?" questioned Dan. He and Lucas turn to him, concerned.

A palm on his neck, Andy mouthed, 'I can't speak!'

 _ **"... Nice try..."**_ Jane ridiculed him. She then summoned Sychae to Ava.

 _ **"Look at this, Ava. I have powers**_ _ **,**_ _ **"**_ Sychae mocked, sounding a lot more raspier than her real self, as if she hadn't drank water in days. She raised a hand and Ava was lifted off the floor.

Andy, perceiving that it was useless for him to try in his... _condition_ , let Dan and Lucas support him. He watched from a distance as for the first time in his life, he saw Ava frightened. "Please don't do this" she muttered, yet was slammed back-first into the wall at the far end of the room.

"Sychae, you're hurting her!" Stacy yelled but received no response.

 _ **"... Do it again!"**_ Jane told her, disgustingly excited. Sychae pried Ava off the wall with her lent telepathic ability. Ava went flying into the ceiling and came crashing down into her chair.

Lily helped Ava up and ushered her away from Sychae. "A-Are you okay?" Ava answered with a groan.

"Is this what you wanted, Noah? Are you happy now?!" bellowed Stacy.

"I- I-" he bit his lip and turned away. He covered his ears, crouched, and rocked back and forth on his heels to keep himself from trembling.

Jane spun around the group, doing eeny-meeny-miney-moe with her ghostly hand. _**"Hmmm... who next?"**_ Her hand stopped at Stacy's direction. _**"You... too loud..."**_

Sychae as straight as a soldier awaiting commands from their commanding officer. _**"Should I make her shut up?"**_

_**"Yeeeessssssss plleeeaassssseeeee."** _

Stacy shrieked as she was dragged by Sychae towards her. "Don't-"

Sychae's hand travelled across her cheek. "Ow-" Another slap.

It persisted that way wherein every time Stacy made even the slightest sound from the previous slap, she would receive another infliction. Each one was louder and more afflictive than the last. It went on and on until Stacy's cheeks were bloated and numbed and she didn't feel any more pain.

Jane's arms were a blur as she mutedly clapped. _**"There... Quiet! Good... Sychae..."**_

Lily guided Ava as they sidled to the three boys.

"This is much worse than I imagined," said Lucas.

 _Yeah, tell me about it,_ Andy thought.

"Much worse than almost getting killed?" Ava winced and kept herself as still as possible so as not to induce more pain. "Uhuh, I actually agree. I get what you mean."

"Right? Playing the game again is one thing. Playing the game again with our childhood friend that turned out to be the inside the monster who caused our traumas and that monster using our friend as her pawn?" Lucas grimaced and shook his head.

"This isn't even the game anymore. She's just hurting us," Dan lamented.

 _ **"Why... talk without meeeeee...?"**_ Jane whined like that kid she once had been. Some kind of forcefield formed around Lucas and pushed everyone else away. Dan seated and stayed next to Andy on the rock bench. Andy leaned on him, feeling weaker as time progressed of him not receiving treatment of his injury. Lily did the same with Ava, and the four of them watch in VIP seats as Jane hovered in front of Lucas. _**"You... very smart...**_

Sychae moved away from Stacy and passed through the forcefield, closing in on Lucas. _**"Let's see if you know what a knife feels like,"**_ she smirked.He walked backwards away from her until he hit the forcefield. The knife Noah had used floated into Sychae's grasp and Lucas stared in horror as she pointed it at him. Lucas screamed as it breached through his forehead. He saw Sychae lick her lips, seeming to relish the dripping of his blood as she slowly, torturingly carved a line across.

Noah heard him scream through the muffling of his hands and sprang up  
He ran towards them instinctively whilst shouting, "Jane! Stop making Sychae do- Ack!" He stumbled back. The knife had zipped through the air and buried itself in Noah's shoulder.

Jane made the clicking-tongue sound and said, _**"... Such a spoilsport..."**_

 _"We have to get her back,"_ whispered Stacy who had seated with the rest of the group during the commotion.

"B-but how? Andy tried and he lost his voice," Lily responded.

 _ **"Lily!"**_ Jane's now appeared to have a skeletal face with flames spilling out of her eyes and mouth. She was irked of being excluded by them.

 _ **"What are you guys talking about? Why aren't you telling us?"**_ said Sychae.

"I know y-you're in there, Sychae. You d-don't want to this."

_**"Why not? Jane's finally with us and you're ignoring her? I will teach you a lesson."** _

Lily replied, "No, i-it's not that-" She began scratching her arm berserkly.

"What's happening to you?" questioned Ava.

"I can't... It's so itchy and it won't go away." Her nails scrape the delicate surface of her skin. Some parts started to bleed.

"Cut it out, your arms are bleeding," said Ava. She grabbed Lily's arms.

The itchy feeling and the urge to scratch grew stronger by the second. Lily contained herself for just a moment until she couldn't take it anymore: It became too annoying and demanding that she elbowed Ava hard in the ribs. The instant she was released, she scratched like there's no tomorrow.

"Stop that, you're hurting yourself," Dan told Lily.

Sychae let out a sardonic laugh. _**"You, Dan? You're trying to help her? You can't even help yourself."**_

 _ **"Come here Dan..."**_ Right after Jane uttered those words, Dan robotically rose to his feet. Andy put a hand out on the bench to support himself.

As soon as Dan came to a halt in front of Sychae, she dropped the knife, she swiftly enclosed a hand around his neck and lifted him. Everyone gasped.

"I- ca...n't breathe..."

Mercifully, he was released after a minute which, to Dan, felt like hours. Hands on his knees, he drank generous gulps of air. Meanwhile, Lily felt the itchy feeling subside and left her arms tarnished with scratch marks.

All Andy could do was watch helplessly. He was supposed to be able to protect his friends. He was supposed to be able to protect Sychae. Yet he couldn't, and he absolutely loathed it.

Jane returned to her joyous state and teasingly asked, _**"Andy...Why you mad...?"**_ She waited, expecting a coinciding remark from Sychae.

 _ **"Andy?"**_ Sychae tilted her head at him like she's perplexed by his existence.

Jane sensed her hold on Sychae slipping and pinned everyone to their places. She floated in front of Sychae and ordered, _**"... Quick! Get that thing..."**_ She pointed at the discarded piece of steel on the ground.

══════════════════

A shivering breeze, faraway foreign murmurs...

Her consciousness floated in space, fluttering like a butterfly, waiting to be recaptured into the cage of her mind.

A unison of hollers pierced into her consciousness. "SYCHAE STOP!"

"Huh?" She rapidly blinked, suddenly becoming aware of herself and her surroundings. And most especially, the knife she's clutching in her hand, the point toward her stomach. She dropped it, almost hitting a bullseye at her foot.

_**"NoooOOOooOoooOo..."** _

_"Oh, thank god,"_ Andy muttered shakily, his voice returning to him.

"Please d-don't kill Sychae. She's our friend," Lily utterly begged.

Noah placed himself in front of the group and spread his arms wide to both protect his friends and keep Jane's attention on him. He tried to keep his tone calm and neutral as he suggested, "You don't have to kill her. Let me take your place."

Sychae spotted her friends huddled on the rock bench together while Jane's orbs widened and pulsed a shining, vivid yellow. _**"Kill... Sychae...?"**_ Jane sounded more like her old self, her candy-like voice resonating into the four walls of the basement.

Sychae shook her arms and hopped on her toes for a bit to regain full control of her senses. She was inclined to ask what happened but she knew she had to figure out a way to free her friends first. _She doesn't know what she's doing. Maybe we can get through to her._ "Remember when you used to come over to my house everyday and we'd play until the sun set? The weekly sleepovers we used to have?"

The hue of Jane's orbs shifted into a radiant, pastel blue. _**"... Happy... Fun!"**_

 _"What are you doing?"_ Stacy hissed.

 _"Liberating you,"_ Sychae whispered back. She made eye contact with everyone else in turn to signal them go along.

Lily balled up her fists to keep herself steady. "Andy and Ava used to make fun of me a lot, and when I cried, you'd be there to defend me."

"I was frustrated because I got an A minus in Math, so we spent lunch break studying until I bumped it up to A plus," Lucas added.

"I used to sit alone at school all the time until you and Sychae invited me to join and I became friends with everyone," said Dan.

"Sychae didn't like girly stuff, so you and I would find a mirror on our own and take turns braiding each other's hair," Stacy chimed in.

"I even let you style my hair into pigtails even though I didn't really like it," Andy admitted.

Jane stirred, holding her head in her hands and processing the information. The bonds on her friends loosened and Sychae gestured at them to continue, mouthing _it's working._

"Yeah uh..." Ava cleared her throat. Sychae felt the cringe and, despite the situation, she held off a chuckle. "I didn't tell you this, but I didn't dislike hanging out with you."

 _**"** _ _**... Really...?** _ _**"** _

"See? They're all your friends. They care about you, Jane, and I do too," Noah muttered. _He looks so tired and hopeless,_ Sychae noted. She felt deceived but was still sympathetic to him.

Jane sank to the floor. The shadows surrounding her fluctuated in extremes, foggy at one point and almost transparent at another. She groaned, in conflict with herself, struggling against the Power that buried her human self and memories. The bonds almost dissolved completely. _**"I**_ _ **...**_ _ **hurt friends?"**_

_Just a little more..._

With a tone of finality, Sychae stated, "This isn't the real you, Jane. Remember who you really are."

A spot of pure light appeared at her heart, growing bigger and bigger until a beam resembling a shooting star streaked across the room and imploded, obliterating color from their surroundings. Sychae's friends were finally liberated from their bonds. They then squinted and adjusted their sight as the light subsided.

"Sychae? Noah?"

They stood, jaws on the floor, staring at her.

"Oh, Jesus."

"Holy shit."

"Whaaat?"

"Damn, ain't that the weirdest thing I've ever seen."

There she was, standing right in front of them, her appearance exactly the same as the last time they saw her alive.

✾


End file.
